JPH10133306A - Three-dimensional image-pickup device - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To make a device compact by controlling a first and a second shutter means to be continuously opened so that a first and a second light beams are passed in a continuous term and advanced to a third optical means. SOLUTION: The light beam 8 showing the left-eye vision of an object 7 enters the inside of an optical unit 1 through a light-eye hole 3 and the light beam 9 showing the right-eye vision thereof enters the inside of the unit 1 through a right-eye hole 4. On the inside of the unit 1, the beam 9 is reflected toward the first LCD shutter 11 by a first turning mirror 10. Besides, only the half part of the beam 9 is reflected toward a lens unit 2 by a beam splitter 12, for example. The beam 8 simultaneously entering the hole 3 is reflected toward the second LCD shutter 14 by a second turning mirror 13. Then, the half part of the beam 8 is passed through the splitter 12 and advanced to the unit 2. The first and the second shutters 11 and 14 are controlled in cooperation with each other by an electronic control unit controlling them so as to be successively opened.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus, and more specifically to an image pickup apparatus such as an SLR (single lens reflection) camera or a digital camera for forming a three-dimensional image. The present invention relates to a three-dimensional image pickup device.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art A conventional three-dimensional image pickup apparatus superimposes at least two images (hereinafter, referred to as left-eye view and right-eye view) of the same object taken from at least two different viewing angles. I am taking a three-dimensional image of the subject. Therefore, these conventional three-dimensional image capturing devices must be provided with at least two cameras or a single camera with two lenses to form a three-dimensional image. The three-dimensional image is captured by image sensing means such as a CCD (charge coupled device) unit or photographic film.

The CCD unit converts the three-dimensional image into a digital form for display on a computer monitor or directly for digital pictorial manipulation for special effects before being displayed. The photographic film allows the three-dimensional image to be developed into a photographic print. However, conventional three-dimensional imaging devices have several disadvantages.

First, the use of two cameras to capture a three-dimensional image also requires two CCD units or two rolls of photographic film to record the image. This makes the system complicated and bulky. Further, it is usually difficult to combine two sets of image data from two CCD units to form a single three-dimensional image.

Second, even when one camera with two lenses is used, two CCD units or two
A roll of photographic film is required, which again complicates and bulks the imager inside the camera. Moreover, implementation with current technology digital cameras requires the use of very expensive components. For the reasons mentioned above, conventional three-dimensional imaging devices are still far from competing in the market. There is a need for a three-dimensional image pickup device that is small and can be made at a very low cost.

There are several ways for a user to view a three-dimensional image effect of a three-dimensional image. First, after printing the image recorded on the film into a photograph, it can be scanned into a computer and then printed on a color printer. By placing a lenticular on the printout, the user can then view the three-dimensional video effect.

Second, the two image signals of each view sensed by the CCD unit are interleaved by the computer into a single image, which can be printed on a color printer. By placing a lenticular on top of this printout, the user can also see the 3D visual effects from there.

Third, the two image signals of each view sensed by the CCD unit can be successively interleaved by a computer into a single image, which can be displayed on a monitor. By putting on an LCD (liquid crystal display) shutter that switches between the left and right eyepieces in synchronization with the interleaving of the displayed image,
The user can see the three-dimensional image effect of the image displayed on the monitor.

Fourth, if the left and right view light beams reflected from the subject are polarized differently, the user will be able to wear glasses with two eyepieces made of correspondingly polarized glass. , The three-dimensional image effect of the superimposed image can be seen.

Fifth, different color filters can be used for color coding of the two images of each view. For example, if the left eye image is processed with a red filter and the right eye image is processed with a blue filter, and the two images are interleaved and displayed on a monitor, the user will see the red left image. By wearing glasses having an eyepiece and a blue left eyepiece, a color three-dimensional image effect of the monitor image can be seen.

[0011]

A major drawback of the conventional three-dimensional image pickup apparatus is that at least two CCD units or two rolls of photographic film are required for viewing the left-eye image. And the right eye view must be used to record each. Therefore, the structure of the optical system of the conventional three-dimensional image pickup device is complicated, bulky, and difficult to assemble. Accordingly, there is a need for a new three-dimensional image capture device that requires only one CCD unit or one roll of photographic film to record a three-dimensional image. This will significantly enable 3D imagers to be more competitive on the market.

Accordingly, it is a primary object of the present invention to provide a simple three-dimensional image of a structure that requires only one CCD unit or one roll of photographic film to record the three-dimensional image so that it can be made compact. An object of the present invention is to provide an imaging device.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a three-dimensional image pickup device having a simple structure so that it can be manufactured at a significantly reduced cost as compared with a conventional three-dimensional image pickup device.

[0014]

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION In accordance with the foregoing and other objects of the present invention, there is provided a new and improved three-dimensional image pickup device. The three-dimensional image capturing device includes an optical unit that can be combined with one lens unit and one image sensing device. The image sensing device may be a CCD unit or photographic film. Two main embodiments of the three-dimensional image capturing device are disclosed.

In the first embodiment of the three-dimensional image pickup apparatus, the optical unit includes a first unit for displaying a left-eye view image of a subject.
And a right eye opening for receiving a second light beam representing a right-eye view of the subject. First and second optical means are used to direct the first and second light beams to the first and second light paths, respectively. First and second shutter means are respectively coupled to the first and second optical means described above.
The first and second shutter means are controlled so as to open continuously so that the first and second light beams can pass through successive periods and go to the third optical means. The third optical means (beam splitter) is used to direct both the first and second light beams to a common propagation path.
A lens unit is coupled on the aforementioned common axis of propagation for focusing the first and second light beams of successive periods onto the image sensing device. The left-eye view represented by the first light beam and the right-eye view represented by the second light beam are thus continuously recorded by the image sensing device. The superposition of the left and right eye views on the image sensing device described above forms a three-dimensional image of the subject.

In the first embodiment of the three-dimensional image pickup apparatus, the third optical means is a high-bandwidth polarization beam splitter, and the two shutter means are omitted and their switching function is one optical. It is replaced by a dynamic delay (shifter). The high-band polarization beam splitter is placed at the intersection of the aforementioned first and second optical paths to divert the S-polarized component of the first light beam to the side while the P-polarized beam of the first light beam. The polarization component is directed to a common propagation path, and at the same time, the P
While the polarization component is deflected aside, the S polarization component of the second light beam can be guided to the aforementioned common propagation path. The optical delay is combined with the first
Receiving the S-polarized light component of the light beam and the P-polarized light component of the second light beam, these two portions of the first light beam and the second light beam are controlled to continuously pass therethrough. You. A polarizer is coupled to the optical retarder for polarizing light passing through the optical delay. Therefore, the lens unit is used to form an image of the light passing through the polarizer on the image sensing device.

[0017]

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a perspective view of a preferred embodiment of a three-dimensional image pickup device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the three-dimensional image pickup device includes an optical unit 1, a lens unit 2, a left eye opening 3, a right eye opening 4, and an image sensing device 5. The three-dimensional image capturing apparatus looks at the three-dimensional object 7 from the left and right eye holes 3 and 4 at different viewing angles, thereby obtaining the object 7.
Used to capture a three-dimensional image of The two images thus obtained are then superimposed by the optical unit 1 into a single three-dimensional image.

In FIG. 1, reference numeral 8 denotes a light beam reflected by the subject 7 and received by the left eye opening 3;
Reference numeral 9 indicates a light beam reflected by the subject 7 and received by the right eye 4. The lens unit 2 has one end connected to the rear of the optical unit 1 and the other end connected to the image sensing device 5. The three-dimensional image captured by the optical unit 1 is recorded by the image sensing device 5. In various embodiments, the image sensing device 5 is a CCD unit for digitally rendering a three-dimensional image, or
It can be a photographic film for drawing a three-dimensional image on a photographic print.

FIG. 2 shows a detailed internal structure of the three-dimensional image pickup device of FIG. As shown, the optical unit 1 includes a first rotating mirror 10, a first LCD (liquid crystal display) shutter 11, a beam splitter 12, and a second rotating mirror 1.
3, a second LCD shutter 14 and a fixed mirror 15, and the lens unit 2 is a group of lenses for forming a three-dimensional image from the optical unit 1 on the image sensing device 5. 16 and 17 are included. In various other embodiments, the LCD shutters 11 and 14 can be replaced by mechanical shutters or polarizer shutters, and the beam splitter 12 can be a plate beam splitter or a cubic beam splitter; The mirrors 10, 13, and 15 are plane mirrors, curved mirrors, and mirrors capable of reflecting or refracting a light beam in a desired direction.
Or it can be either a prism.

In operation, a beam 8 representing the left eye of the subject 7 passes through the left eye 3 and a beam 9 representing the right eye thereof passes through the left eye 4 and is received inside the optical unit 1. Can be Inside the optical unit 1, a light beam 9
Is the first LCD shutter 11 by the first rotating mirror 10
Is reflected to If the first LCD shutter 11 is open, the reflected beam from the first turning mirror 10 passes through it and goes to the beam splitter 12. In the beam splitter 12, the light beam 9 is reflected to the lens unit 2 by, for example, half (50%).

At the same time, the beam 8 entering the left eye opening 3 is reflected by the second turning mirror 13 to the second LCD shutter 14. If the second LCD shutter 14 is open, the light beam 8 passes therethrough to a fixed mirror 15, which mirrors the light beam 8 into a beam splitter 12
To reflect. The beam splitter 12 allows half (50%) of the light beam 8 to pass therethrough to the lens unit 2.

First and second LCD shutters 11 and 14
Means that the two LCD shutters 11, 14 are sequentially
It is coordinated and controlled by an electronic controller (not shown) that controls to open. Each time a shutter release (not shown) is depressed by the user, the first LCD shutter 11 is first opened with the second LCD shutter 14 closed for a first period, and then the second period. , First LCD shutter 11
Is closed and the second LCD shutter 14 is opened. The shutter mechanism causes the image sensing device 5 to record a right-eye view during a first period and then a left-eye view during a second period.

First and second pivoting mirrors 10, 13 are shown in FIGS. 3A and 3B, respectively, for taking three-dimensional images of a subject at various distances from the three-dimensional imaging device. As such, it can be adjusted to the appropriate orientation. The orientations of the first and second turning mirrors 10 and 13 shown in FIG. 3A take into account a three-dimensional image of a distant subject, and those orientations shown in FIG. This takes into account a three-dimensional image of a certain subject.

In various other modifications, color filters (not shown) are used to separate light beams 8, 9 for color separation purposes.
Can be placed in the optical path for Polarizers (not shown) can also be used to polarize the light beams 8, 9 for polarization viewing effects. Adjusting the distance between the left eye 3 and the right eye 4 has a zoom effect on the resulting three-dimensional image.

Referring to FIG. 4, there is shown another preferred embodiment of the three-dimensional image pickup device according to the present invention. In this schematic diagram, reference numbers 8S and 8P are 90
Ｓ shows the S-polarized light component and the P-polarized light component of the left-eye viewing light beam polarized with the phase difference of 参照.
Denotes an S-polarized light component and a P-polarized light component of a right-eye viewing light beam polarized with a phase difference of 90 °. The optical unit 1 here comprises a first mirror 10, a second mirror 13, a third mirror 1
5, including a high-band polarization beam splitter 12, an optical retarder (a phase shifter) 22, and a polarizer 21. The bandwidth of the high-band polarization beam splitter 12 is 4,000 in wavelength.
It ranges from 0A (Angstroms) to 7,000A.

In operation, the light beams (8S, 8P) are received through the left eye hole into the optical unit 1. Inside the optical unit 1, the light beam (8S, 8S)
P) is guided to the front side of the high-bandwidth polarization beam splitter 12 by the second mirror 13 and the third mirror 15. The high-band polarizing beam splitter 12 is oriented to redirect the S-polarized component 8S to the left, but to allow the P-polarized component 8P to pass straight through and exit from behind.

Similarly, the light beams (9S, 9P) are received inside the optical unit 1 through the right eye hole. Inside the optical unit 1, the light beam (9S, 9P) redirects the S-polarized component 9S to its rear side by the first mirror 10, but the P-polarized component 9P passes through it from the left side. It is guided to the right of a high band polarizing beam splitter 12 that allows it to exit.

As a result of the above, as a result of the light beam P
Both the polarization component 8P and the S-polarization component 9S of the right-eye viewing light beam exit the optical delay unit 22 from behind the high-band polarization beam splitter 12. Under control by electronic means, the optical delay 22 can selectively allow P-polarized light or S-polarized light to pass therethrough. According to the present invention, the optical delay 22 is controlled to allow the P-polarized beam 8P and the S-polarized beam 9S to pass therethrough sequentially. The light passing through the optical delay 22 is then polarized by the next polarizer 21 and imaged by the lenses 16, 17 onto the image sensing device 5.

Referring to FIG. 5, there is shown a further preferred embodiment of the three-dimensional image pickup device according to the present invention. In this embodiment, the second LCD shutter 14
Is substantially the same as the embodiment shown in FIG. 2, except that it is now located after mirror 15 instead of preceding mirror 15. As in the embodiment of FIG. 2, the two LCD shutters 11 and 14 here also emit light from the right eye and light from the left eye to the beam splitter 12 and the lens 1.
Opening / closing is controlled so that the sheet is continuously sent to the image sensing device 5 through 6 and 17.

The foregoing description is only a few of the various other modifications of the three-dimensional imager of the present invention. Still other modifications are possible. All of these modifications and similar arrangements are encompassed within the scope and spirit of the invention, which are defined in the following claims.

[Brief description of the drawings]

The invention can be more completely understood by reading the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment, with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a three-dimensional image pickup device according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a schematic sectional view of an optical system in the three-dimensional image pickup device of FIG.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram used to illustrate the adjustment of two plane mirrors in the optical system of FIG. 2 for taking three-dimensional images of a subject at various distances.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view of another embodiment of the three-dimensional image pickup device according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a schematic view of still another embodiment of the three-dimensional image pickup device according to the present invention.

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuation of front page (71) Applicant 596170000 No. 195, Chung Hsing Road, Sec. 4, Chutung, H. sinchu 31015, Taiwan, R .; O. C. (72) Inventor Chun-Fa Liu Taiwan No.6,75

Claims (16)

[Claims] 1. A left eye hole for receiving a first light beam representing a left-eye image of a subject, and (b) a second light beam representing a right-eye image of the subject. (C) first optical means for directing the first light beam received by the left eye opening; and (d) the second optical means received by the right eye opening. A second optical means for guiding a light beam; and (e) a first optical means optically coupled to said first optical means for passing said first light beam under control.
And (f) a second optical means optically coupled to the second optical means for passing the second light beam under control.
(G) optically coupled to the first shutter means and the second shutter means, wherein the first light beam from the first shutter means and the second shutter means Third optical means for directing the second light beam to a common axis of propagation; and (h) coupling the first light beam and the second light beam to the common axis of propagation. (I) a left-eye view image represented by the first light beam and the second light coupled to the lens unit and aligned with the focal plane; and An image sensing device for continuously recording a right-eye image represented by a beam, wherein a superposition of a left-eye image and a right-eye image on the image sensing device is a three-dimensional image of the subject. To form a three-dimensional image of the subject Three-dimensional image pickup device. 2. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second shutter means are liquid crystal device shutters. 3. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second shutter means are mechanical shutters. 4. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein said first and second shutter means are polarizer shutters. 5. The three-dimensional image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third optical means includes at least a plate-like beam splitter. 6. The three-dimensional image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said third optical means includes at least a cubic beam splitter. 7. The first and second turning mirrors, wherein the first optical means includes a first turning mirror, and wherein the second optical means includes a second turning mirror. 3. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the direction of the three-dimensional image pickup device can be adjusted according to various object distances. 8. The three-dimensional image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second optical means include at least one color filter for color separation of said first and second light beams. 9. The apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the first and second optical means include at least one polarizer for polarizing the first and second light beams. 10. The three-dimensional image pickup apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said first and second shutter means are controlled to be continuously opened by electronic means. 11. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing device includes a CCD unit for recording a three-dimensional image. 12. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 1, wherein the image sensing device includes a photographic film for recording a three-dimensional image. 13. (a) A first image representing a left-eye view image of a subject.
(B) a right eye opening for receiving a second light beam representing a right eye view of the subject; and (c) a left eye opening for receiving the light beam. First optical means for guiding one light beam to a first optical path; and (d) a second optical path intersecting the second optical beam received by the right eye opening with the first optical path. (E) placed at the intersection of the first and second optical paths to divert the second polarization component of the first light beam aside. , Allowing the first polarization component of the first light beam to be directed to a common propagation path, and at the same time diverting the first polarization component of the second light beam to the side,
A high-band polarization beam splitter capable of directing a second polarization component of the second light beam to the common propagation path; and (f) coupled onto the common propagation path; Optical delay means that can be controlled to continuously pass the first polarization component of one light beam and the second polarization component of the second light beam; and (g) the optical system. Polarizer means coupled to the optical delay means for polarizing light passing through the optical delay means; and (h) coupling light transmitted to the polarizer means and passing through the polarizer means to the focal plane. (I) a left-eye view image represented by a first polarization component of the first light beam coupled to the lens unit and aligned with the focal plane; and 2 light beam represented by the second polarization component And an image sensing device for continuously recording a right-eye image to be recorded, wherein a superposition of a left-eye image and a right-eye image on the image sensing device forms a three-dimensional image of the subject. , A three-dimensional image capturing device for capturing a three-dimensional image of a subject. 14. The first optical means includes two mirrors for directing the first light beam to a first side of the high bandwidth polarizing beam splitter, and the second optical means. 14. The three-dimensional imaging device of claim 13, wherein the device comprises a mirror for directing the second light beam to a second side of the high-band polarization beam splitter. 15. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 13, wherein the image sensing device includes a CCD unit for recording a three-dimensional image. 16. The three-dimensional image pickup device according to claim 13, wherein the image sensing device includes a photographic film for recording a three-dimensional image.